The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-09-20
Notes on Education in Hawaii.

THE RELIGIOUS QUESTION IN SCHOOLS.
1t costs the Government, will not say
how much, to provide that we shall be
secure from the evil doings of vicious mem;
wicked men, thieves, swindlers, robbers,
murderers, fOrgers, and all those who
through malice, cupidity, or eveu careless
ness, do harm to their fellow men. And
although the outlay of money is very great
and the remedy bat partial, no one feels tina
the heavy burden of taxation 10 support the
Government IN these eudeayors is in vain.
It is willingly borne. And when human life
even has TO be sacrificed in its accomplish
meut, every one says: so be it; it IS well.
Now what would be said If way was dis
covered to prevent the greater part of this
evil and its attendant expense at a very tn
fling cost? Consider: have we not among US
men whose lives would be in no respect diff
ferent from what they are if all law and pen
atty were done away? Men whose regard
for right is stronger than bars and bolts can
ever be made? Such there are many of them,
for whom it would be the broadcast farce to
make prisons and TO enact laws with punish.
ment. They have in their own bosoms laws
mightier than any can be enacted by the leg
islature; and they are laws of eternal dura-
ton, not to be changed. How came they to
have such laws? They were not inborn; by
birth they were like all men; and, left to
themselves. would travel in the same path
with the great multitude But they were
educated differently by precept and by ex-
ample; and the blessing OF God, which at
tends such education, caused it produce con-
viction in the young mind, which could never
be superseded. The lessons of life, too, en-
phasized them so that they strengthened by
age.
But" it is said, "the laws strictly forbid
teaching religion in school," And this idea,
crudely admitted, has prevented many
teacher from giving good, wholesome moral
instruction in school, when he would have
delighted to do so, and might have saved
many youth 10 a useful life by so doing.
What is forbidden by these laws? Teaching
what some men call religion, VIZ, the pecu-
liar tenets of their sect. 1t is very proper that
such teaching be prohibited in any govern
ment school, for what one sect might con-
slider religious teaching, another sect might
consider as opposed to RELIGIONS teaching.
But the absence of such teaching in the rpo-
lie school never harmed any hnHlu beng
and never will.
But the law under consideration does not
forbid teaching a youag person TO be train
full, to be honest, to be honorable. to honor
his parents and teachers, and, IN general,
those IN any respect above him; to be indus
trious, gentle in his behavior, to do evil to
no one, to be unselish and kind. to regard as
most highly important those things which
are so; to fear God and obey his laws; to
render to all their dues; to feel himself a
responsible member of society, to labor for
the public good, to do his best in all cases
irrespective of reward; or in general any
thing which might promote his own good or
render him useful to others. It does not
forbid teaching him to despise all meanness,
to stand up against temptation, to be fear
less IN forsaking and rebuking evil, to put
away forever anything which might intoNi-
cate, or debase, or lead astray. Il does not
forbid guarding the yonng against the in
sidious advances of evil in any shape. IF it
does this. 1t is a bad law and should forth
with be repealed. TEACHER.